For over 50 years, Canada’s Calgary TELUS Convention Centre (CTCC) has been a community gathering place, paving the way for the business events industry as Canada’s first purpose-built convention centre. Now the centre has unveiled its Indigenous ReconciliAction Plan, the first for a Canadian convention centre.
“For the CTCC, we started by reflecting on our land acknowledgement and learning the why and history of all of us as newcomers to acknowledge the lands we are on,” said Kurby Court, president and CEO. The Indigenous Action Plan, he added, was designed to reflect on the CTCC’s role within a greater community and how more can be done towards truth and reconciliation.
The centre, Court said, was acknowledging its role within the Calgary region in the bringing together of people from far and wide to the ancestoral lands of Treaty 7 and Metis Nation within Alberta District 5 and 6.
The plan involves cultural awareness training designed to eliminate misconceptions, while providing opportunities for engagement, reflection and participation within Indigenous communities. The idea is also to open up employment and business opportunities.
“Our collective responsibility includes acting on principle and doing what’s right – not because it’s easy, but because – through our actions – we believe we can help build a world of balance, belonging and equity. As an organisation, we are committed to creating change that is not just impactful but meaningful, ensuring a positive legacy to the broader community,” Court added.